Spherical roller bearings are designed to accommodate heavy radial and axial loads. Structurally, they typically have an outer ring, an inner ring and, between these, there are two rows of oppositely arranged rolling elements that are separated by and interacting with a guide ring, also called centering ring or spacer, so as to optimally distribute the load.
Various tribological components of spherical roller bearings, including the aforementioned, are usually exposed to substantial friction, and, eventually, wear. In order to alleviate consequences of this exposure, lubricants are applied. As each lubricant has finite life that typically is shorter than life of the roller bearing, the lubricant needs to be reapplied periodically. Here, term lubricant life denotes time period in which the lubricant functions reliably. Traditionally, the relubrication is done by packing the exposed bearing with a suitable lubricant, such as grease, either manually or by means of a mechanical packer. This process is fairly complex and time-consuming.
An objective of the present invention is therefore to provide a spherical roller bearing not ridden with drawbacks associated with spherical roller bearings belonging to the prior art.